Steering apparatus.



' No. 761,223. v PATENTED MAY 31, 1904.

1). E. HALL.

STEERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1903. N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAY 31, 1904. D. E. HALL.

STEERING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1903.

2 BEEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

- zen of the United States, residing at Somer-' UNITE STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFIC STEERING APPARATUS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,223, dated May 31, 1904.

Application filed September 23, 1903. Serial No. 174,264. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, -DANIEL E. HALL, a citiville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Steering Devices, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention is an improvement in steering -mechanism for motor-carriages and the like.

The high speed and severe usage of presentday motor-carriages test to the utmost the strength, compactness, and permanence of adjustment of all parts of the machine, so that inventors are now exerting themselves toward improving the various parts of the machine in these respects, my invention relating to the steering mechanism, the objects thereof being to provide the simplest construction and fewest number of parts arranged to be quickly put in place, readily disconnected, easily disassembled, maintained at all times compact, noiseless, certain, and instant in movement, (there being no backlash or lost motion,) all the parts also beingentirely adjustable to wear, the construction offering a braced resistance in all directions of strain.

I employa screw-movement for certalnty of action and yet arranged in such a manner as. to give full steering movement wlth slight motion, permitting the use of either a handwheel or lever, and also my construction permits mounting the apparatus either on the vehicle-body or the running-gear, and any portion thereof may be removed for inspection or repair without disturbing the rest.

The constructional details and further advantages of my invention will be pointed out in the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, and later will be more particularly defined in the appended claims. 4

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents in side elevation, partly broken away, a portion of a vehicle provided with one embodiment of my improvement and illustrates one position of mountlng the same. Fig. 2 is an enlarged de-- tail in vertical section and partly broken away,

showing the lower operating portion of the device. Flg. 3 is a transverse sectional vlew vthereof, partly broken away, taken on the dotted'line 3 3, Fig. 2. -Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Figs. 2 and 3, showing a modified construction.

For purposes of illustration I have shown my invention applied to a motor-car in which thesteeringgear is connected to an arm a,

projecting from a knuckle 0, adjacent the front wheel a of the vehicle. From said arm a extends a rod 6, provided at .its rear end with a ball I), held in a socket formed partly "journal-bearings 6 6 and provided at their lower part with transverse 614 615.

In the bearings L 5 is mounted a shaft I), provided with a quick-motion screw or threaded huh 6" (herein shown as a three-screw single turn screw) for strength and quickness of motion, and about this huh I)" is a threaded sleeve journal-bearings 6 having an earb extending downwardly therefrom between ears or wings 5 projecting upwardly from a hub 5 provided on the upper end of the arm 6 The ear I) has a square aperture I), in which is seated a split slide-block 6 made up of two parts split lengthwise, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and being formed at its opposite sides to receive opposite conical sleeves or tightening-cones I), (see Fig. 3,) movable longitudinally toward each other on a bolt 6 and supported in the ears or wings 6 The'hole I) is longer than the block 6 so that the latter can move freely lengthwise therein.

In Fig. 3 I have shown opposite oil-holes 6 The hub [2 is similarly mounted between the hanger-arms b I), being supported on a bolt 6, carrying conical sleeves or bearings 6 journaled at b 1), respectively, in the hanger and engaging at their conical ends correspondinglyrshaped seats 5 formed in the hub 6 s From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the column b is turned the sleeve 6 will thereby travel longitudinally on the shaftb and rock the arm 6 on its pivots 6 in the hanger 0', thereby moving the rod 6 longitudinally one way or the other and correspondingly steering the vehicle.

As already intimated, it is of vital importance in this class of mechanism that it should be maintained noiseless and also that no looseness of parts or lost motion should be permitted, and accordingly my entire construction is devised with this end in view.

The block 6 is adjusted so as to move freely longitudinally but have no lateral movement, all wear being taken up simply by ad justing the tightening-cones slightlytoward each other. By this means the most delicate .adjustment is possible, so that the requisite thrust bearing 6 held in the bearing 1) and adjusted by a bolt 5 a shoulder 6 being provided on said shaft for engaging the inner side of the bearing 6.

The sleeve 6" is shown as split, Fig. 3, and its free ends Z2 6 are clamped together by a bolt I)? and lock-nut 6 The column 6 is connected with the shaft 6 byasleeve FZ'the latter being provided with a recess 6 fitting the lower end of said column, and another recess 5 fitting said shaft, so that the parts may be assembled. as shown in Fig. 2, and connected by tapered pins 5 6 and threaded nuts 6,

The journal-bearings I) 6 extend beyond the arms of the hangers slightly, as inclicated at b, and are preferably turned round, as shown, and beneath the same project lugs 6, apertured at a for the purpose of giving a rigid and strong. bracket connection, the bracket?) having its arms mounted on the projections I) and connected by bolts 6 to the lugs 6 the other end of the bracket being bolted in place on the vehicle body or reach or frame or wherever convenient.

The arm 6 should normally occupy a substantially vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1; but it is desirable that the column 7) may occupy a more or lessv inclined position or a vertical position, according to the kind of vehicle-body and preferences of the user, and accordingly the bracket 6 has a series of holes I), as shown clearly in Fig. 1, to permittheangle of the hanger b and column b to be changed, and the arm 0 is made in two parts 6 b the former having a series of holes and the latter a cooperating pin and hole, the latter to receive a securing-bolt 6"" and the pin to enter the lower series of holes in the part b. i I

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown. a modification of the longitudinal movable connecting means between the arm 6 and. sleeve 6 the ear 6 in this instance entering between ears or wings 6 of a Y-pin b freely movable up and down in a cylindrical hole provided in a tightening-cup 6', carried in the hub 5 of the arm 6 The cup 6 is conical externally to fit snugly in a conical hole or-seatc in the hub 6 said cup being split longitudinally, as shown clearly at b, to permit the sides of the cup to be brought toward each other by downward movement thereof in the conical seat 6'. Any

the other construction by means of the split block. p v

The hub 6"" is provided against uneven or loose movement 1n very much the same way as the other construction, being vmounted on opposite cones 6 seated in the opposite ends of said hub and moving freely in holes 6 in the journal-bearings of the hanger and being held in proper adjustment by set-screws 6, working in nuts 6 .carried at the ends of said openings 6. The ear 6 is similarly mounted in the Y-shaped pin, being provided on its opposite sides with conical seatsin which hollow cones or sleeves 5 engage, being held in adjustment by lock-nuts 6" at the opposite'ends of the bolt 5 passing through the cones, ear, and Y-pin.

It will be understood that the two-piece adjustable arm 6 may be applied to this modified construction and that both constructions are susceptible of wide variation in form, arrangement, and combination of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that great strength and precision' of movement is secured, the turning of the column 71 causing the screw I) to rotate, thereby shifting the sleeve 1) and through the pivoted ear and sliding connection rocking the arm 6 to the right or left and compelling the rod 6 to move correspondingly.

By having the whole apparatus mounted on the bracket Z) and a ball-and-socket connection with the rod 6 I provide for mounting the steering mechanism either on the rigid running-gear or on the yielding vehicle-body. Practically the entire mechanism is carried in the single hanger, and this hanger is so shaped and constructed that it gives a strong bracing resistance in every direction of strain brought upon it by the operation of the moving parts. If the arm 6 should break, it is simply necessary to disconnect it from the ear 6 and move out its pivots in order to replace a new arm.- If the block Z2 or pin Z2 should get injured, it also can readily be replaced without materially disturbing the rest of the mechanism, and so on with all the moving parts.

The entire mechanism is readily disconnected or attached to the vehicle, and all the parts are easily assembled and disassembled. No rattling or looseness can take place because each part liable thereto is provided with fine adjustment. No lost motion or backlash upon turning the column or steering-.rod in the hanger can take place because all the parts extending therefrom to the steering-knuckle are so constructed that each responds instantly to any movementin the adjacent part. This is of special importance in this class of vehicles, as it insures the safety of and gives confidence to the user.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A steering device for motor-vehicles and the like, comprising a sleeve movable longitudinally thereon, a pivoted arm, means connected to the free end of said arm for connection with the running-gear of the vehicle, and a sliding pivot connection between said sleeve and arm comprising a longitudinallyslotted ear extending from one of said parts, a split block occupying said slot and pivoted to the other of said parts, and expanding means for expanding said block within said slot to maintain a close fit in the latter.

2. A steering device for motor-vehicles and the like, comprisinga shaft, a sleeve movable longitudinally thereon, a pivoted arm, means connected with the free end of said arm for connection with the running-gear of the vehicle, a split-block connection between said sleeve and arm, pivoted to one and sliding in a slot in the other, and expanding means, consisting of a bolt, a conical sleeve thereon, and a nut, for expanding said split block within said slot to maintain a close fit in the latter.

3. A steering device for motor-vehicles and the like, comprising a column, a hanger at the lower end thereof, an arm mounted on a pivot in said hanger ,the pivot comprising a bolt carrying conical sleeves journaled in the hanger and engaging correspondingly-shaped seats in the arm, mechanism carried by said hanger for swinging said arm by rotation of said column, and means connected to the free end of said arm for connecting with the runninggear of the vehicle.

4. A steering device for motor-vehicles and the like, comprising a threaded shaft, a steering-column, a sleeve provided with connecting recesses of different diameters, one fitting and receiving said shaft and the other fitting and receiving said column, and independent tightening means for retaining said parts and tightening said shaft and column toward each other in said sleeve, a threadedsleeve mounted on said threaded shaft, a pivoted arm, means connecting said threaded sleeve and arm for rocking the latter by longitudinal movement of the threaded sleeve, and means for connecting said arm to the ru nning-gear of the vehicle.

5. In a steering device for motor-vehicles and the like, a column, a hanger at the lower end thereof, a pivoted arm, mechanism carried by said hanger for swinging said arm by rotation of said column, and means independent of said swinging movement for changing the angle of said arm with relation to said column.

6. In a steering device for motor-vehicles and the like, a column, a hanger at the lower end thereof, a pivoted arm, mechanism carried by said hanger for swinging said arm by rotation of said column, said arm being composed of two parts, one connected to the pivot thereof, and the other being laterally adjustable thereon.

1 7 In a steering device for motor-vehicles and the like, a column, a hanger at the lower end thereof, a pivoted arm,mechanism carried by said hanger for swinging said arm by rotationof said column, a bracket for supporting said mechanism rigidly on the vehicle, and adjusting means for changing the angular position of said hanger, column, and'mechanism with relation to said bracket.

.8. In a steering device for motor-vehicles and the like, a column, mechanism connected therewith for producing longitudinal movement, a longitudinally-movable rod extending at an angle to said column, means for transmitting said longitudinal movement to said rod, a hanger to which all of said mechanism is connected, and a single supporting means cooperating with said hanger in supporting said mechanism.

9. In a steerlng device for motor-velucles and the like, a column, a hanger at the lower end thereof, a pivoted arm,'mechanism car- IIO ried by said hanger for swinging said arm by rotation of said column, said hanger having lugs extending therefrom, and a bracket provided with securing means for engagement with said lugs, and with means for embracing said hanger at its opposite pivots.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnes'ses.

DANIEL E. HALL Witnesses: J

Gno. H. MAxWELL, J ETHEL TAU. 

